Just Remember to smile
by Uke Deidara-kun
Summary: twenty-five years after the end of Aizan's war. now the world has calmed down. or has it? ** i would like to ask the community for help. being my firs FF, i wnat to know if you think it's alrigh, or else i'm discontinueing my story, please review **
1. a quiet enterance

i do not own bleach or any of it's characters! XD i wish i did, but i dont! sorry for any major crappyness. this is my first fanfic. please enjoy as best you can!

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"attention all soul reapers…" at this Hinamori looked up from her desk to listen to the announcement coming over the loudspeakers. "a meeting has been ordered. all soul reapers of 5th seat or higher are to report to the main briefing hall at 2pm. repeat, all reapers of 5th seat or higher are ordered to repot to the main briefing hall at exactly 2pm. that is all." Hinamori sighed. A knot formed in her stomach. This was the day she knew was inevitable… this was the day that a permanent replacement for… 'Him' was being assigned. She often found herself dwelling on those sickening memories. She began to drift into a dreamlike state. and dark memories played like a movie, that she couldn't stop.

"Momo?" shaking her head, she spun around to find Rangiku standing in the doorway of her room. "o-oh, hi Rangiku" she said, quickly adopting a smile. Rangiku smiled back. "Cummon! the meeting is about to start, and your not even dressed, hurry up before your late!" Rangiku made an impatient face then turned, and sprinted towards the briefing hall. Hinamori hurriedly got dressed, grabbed her zanpaku-to and hurtled to catch up with Rangiku. They hurriedly walked the final length of the path together. Once they reached the hall, the two parted and joined their respective squads just as the meeting began.

General Commander Yamamoto Genryusai stood at the center of the coliseum like room packed with well ranked officers. He surveyed his surroundings silently before speaking. "quiet down!" he said in a booming voice. "At this time, I have called this meeting… to announce the permanent assignment of the new captain of division 5." upon those words, the entire hall went deathly quiet. "you may now enter!"

The enormous doors at the front of the room swung open with a deep groan. The bright mid-day sun glared through the massive opening. A man's silhouette appeared in the archway, casting a long shadow before him. The figure emerged from the distorting wall of light, and slowly walked up to the center of the room to stand before commander Yamamoto. All eyes in the room were upon him. Boring into him, and scrutinizing his every detail.

He was young, probably not 16 in appearance by her guess. He was short, though not as short as Toshiro. She giggled at this thought. Probably about 5'7". Actually, he was about the same size, and build as her. He had long brown hair, that was lightly streaked with gray. it was pulled up in a loose ponytail that stretched down to touch his zanpaku-to. His eyes were a deep emerald green. He had a soft smile, that was very assuring. And gave off an aura of contentment, and yet, something about him seemed frail, almost sickly. It was as if he were trying to hide it behind a reassuring smile. He was wearing his zanpaku-to. it looked simple, it was a little longer than most, but she was use to this after knowing Toshiro for so long. It had a straight black and gray ray skin wrapped handle and it's sheath was a flat black. It's hand guard was an elongated diamond, flat gray with a black border. He wore it at an angle across the back of his waist.

"Itade Oketsu!" boomed commander Yamamoto once again "from your death a mere 21 months ago and induction into the soul society, leading up until now, you have been able to pass through the academy with top marks, as nothing more than a soul from area 76. Successfully release your zanpaku-to, and incredibly manifest a true bankai form. In light of these achievements, and after consideration of many other worthy shinigami, we are here today to offer you the rank of captain, of the 5th division of the 13 court guard squads… Do you accept this rank and all responsibilities associated with it?" there was a short pause. Hinamori could hear whispering all around the room. "yes sir." he replied in a light, gentle voice. It was the complete opposite of commander Yamamoto's.

"very well, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of captain of squad 5. You are to report as such tomorrow." Yamamoto finished with a passing hint of a smile. "your all dismissed. return to your posts or off time." all the shingami began to file out the small doors on the upper levels. As Hinamori stood to go, she glanced the new captain out of the corner of her eye. he was walking alone, back towards the giant doors from which he had emerged. He hadn't said another word to anyone. He was clenching his stomach and was wearing a pained expression on his face. He just stepped out of sight as she heard captain of squad 8, Syunsui Kyoraku speak. "you know what we should do!?! We should all go get some sake and get drunk to commemorate the new captain, Ita… Hey!! Where'd he go!?! Aww man, that was my best excuse to get drunk this week… Ouch!!" vice captain Nanao Ise whacked him a couple more times before muttering "idiot… stupid drunk idiot." and storming away with captain Kyoraku following close behind pleading "please Nanao, my dear sweet Nanao, please wait!" The voices died off into the distance, so she continued on and out of the hall.

After the meeting, Hinamori couldn't help but find herself a bit depressed. Even so, she had turned down Rangiku's generous offer to join her and Rukia at their favorite bar (the kind of place where there was a fight every 20 minutes or your next drink was free), and Renji's idea to steal all of vice captain Yachiru Kusajishi's panties and hide them in captain Zaraki's room, then watch to see their reactions (she had a sneaking suspicion that he and Ikkaku had gone to do it anyway). So she decided to go to her favorite place in the whole soul society. Sakuranbo park.

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well, theres chapter one! more coming! Jyaane!


	2. could he be my friend?

She sat on her favorite bench, dressed in a beautiful purple kimono, and starring at the ground deep in thought.

'_maybe finally having a new captain is a good thing. perhaps it'll let me finally stop thinking about captain Ai... He seems to be a nice enough person, not half as rough as most of the other captains. I wonder when I'll get to mee…'_ "Vice Captain Hinamori?" said a gentle voice in front of her.

She snapped out of her deep trance and looked up to find the newly named Captain Oketsu standing there with a questioning smile on his face. She quickly hopped to her feet and bowed. "Hello Captain Itade Oketsu, It's a pleasure to meet you sir." He honestly looked a bit taken back by this show of respect. "OH! P-please, keep your seat. I didn't mean to disturb you. You seemed to be concentrating on something" he replied. He had a very melodic voice.

it seemed to calm her by just hearing it. "it's alright Captain Oketsu sir, I was actually wondering when I'd be able to meet you" she said as she lowered herself back onto the bench. He smiled. "well what a fine coincidence! and please, don't worry about calling me captain. the rank just kinda came with the job. I really don't care much about rank or titles. I'm wherever I can be of the most help. Your quite welcome to call me whatever you like."

"I've been taking a look around the 13 squad's headquarters and I'm a bit tired, would you mind if I joined you there?" "not at all" she said returning his smile and sliding to one side of the bench to make sure there was room. He settled himself down beside her and gazed up at the beautiful trees that surrounded them on all sides.

"it's amazing isn't it, this is the only place in the soul society that the cherry trees are constantly in bloom." the petals danced across the stone paths in the wind and formed tiny twisters. "it is. I've been coming here for years, ever since my time at the academy." the smell of cherry drifted lazily through the air.

He took a deep breath, then spoke in a more serious voice yet still just soft and melodic. "I've read all the reports. I realize how close you were to my predecessor. even though it's been so mant years I know it must hurt you to have to be forced beneath a new captain, especially after having basicly searved as this squad's captian. I don't expect you to enjoy working as my vice captain, or working for me at all. All that I ask of you is to consider, if not working for me, to work alongside me, helping those we can.

he sighed deeply."Who knows, maybe someday we could even become friends."

he looked at her and began to smile, but suddenly his expression changed. it changed back to the same pained expression she had seen him with as he exited the briefing hall that morning.

He bent double and clenching his knees, coughing and gagging, he finally coughed up a rather disturbingly large puddle of blood. "C-captain! Are you alright?!" Hinamori exclaimed clenching his shoulders. He coughed a few more times before sitting back and shaking his head. "I'm fine, I'm fine" he said with what was meant to be a reassuring smile, made rather unconvincing by the blood trailing from the corners of his mouth.

He quickly attempted to change the subject. "A-and I told you that you need not call me captain." he said as he pulled from a pocket a handkerchief that Hinamori couldn't help but notice was covered in dozens of dried blood stains. He quickly cleaned the blood from his face. And stowing the cloth, rouse from the bench.

he dusted off his coat and checked for any blood on it. He quietly cleard his throat. "Thank you for your time, Vice Captain Hinamori." and smiling he turned and began to stride down the path. "Yes."

Captain Oketsu stopped, and turned slightly so to see her. "Yes. I, would really like to serve along side you. And you can call me Momo, if you want." Itade smild verry gently, verry happy to have made somthing like a friend already. "I'm very glad to hear that… Momo. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, for my first day as captain of squad 5." he turned back towards the path. "Sweet dreams Momo-sama." He continued on down the path, his captains coat flowing behind him. Cherry blossoms dancing in the wind. Until he disappeared from her sight. She sighed and slipped back into daydreams.


End file.
